Elevator motor cooling assembly

Abstract

An elevator motor assembly includes a motor for driving an elevator, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the motor and a blower configured to blow air onto the motor to cool the motor, and configured to blow air at varying speeds that vary according to a temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An elevator motor assembly, comprising:
 a motor for driving an elevator;   a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the motor; and   a blower configured to blow air onto the motor to cool the motor, and configured to blow air at varying speeds that vary according to a temperature detected by the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The elevator motor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the blower is configured to operate at two or more speeds corresponding to two or more threshold temperatures. 
     
     
         3 . The elevator motor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the blower is configured to blow air onto an outside surface of the motor. 
     
     
         4 . The elevator motor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the motor includes windings and permanent magnets, and
 the sensor is located in the windings of the motor.   
     
     
         5 . The elevator motor assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the blower is configured to blow air onto the windings. 
     
     
         6 . The elevator motor assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a blower controller configured to receive a detected temperature from the temperature sensor and output a blower control signal based on the detected temperature.   
     
     
         7 . The elevator motor assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the blower controller is configured to compare the sensed temperature to two or more threshold values to control the blower to operate at three or more speeds. 
     
     
         8 . An elevator assembly, comprising:
 an elevator carriage;   an elevator motor configured to drive the elevator carriage;   a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the elevator motor; and   a blower configured to blow air onto the motor to cool the motor, and configured to blow air at varying speeds that vary according to a temperature detected by the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         9 . The elevator assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the blower is configured to operate at two or more speeds corresponding to two or more threshold temperatures. 
     
     
         10 . The elevator motor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the blower is configured to blow air onto an outside surface of the motor. 
     
     
         11 . The elevator motor assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the motor includes windings and permanent magnets, and
 the sensor is located in the windings of the motor.   
     
     
         12 . The elevator motor assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the blower is configured to blow air onto the windings. 
     
     
         13 . The elevator motor assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a blower controller configured to receive a detected temperature from the temperature sensor an output a blower control signal based on the detected temperature.   
     
     
         14 . A method of cooling an elevator motor, comprising:
 detecting a temperature of the elevator motor; and   varying a speed of a blower that blows air onto the elevator motor based on detecting varying temperatures of the elevator motor.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein varying the speed of the blower includes comparing the detected temperature to two or more threshold temperatures corresponding to different speeds of the blower and varying the speed of the blower based on the relationship between the detected temperature and the two or more threshold temperatures. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the two or more threshold temperatures includes a first threshold temperature and a second threshold temperature, and
 the method comprises:   turning off the blower if the detected temperature is less than the first threshold temperature;   running the blower at a first speed if the detected temperature is greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value; and   running the blower at a second speed if the detected temperature is greater than the second threshold value.